I’m just not that into you – well not that into sweets anyhow.  But some things are like heroin of the preserving world – this is one of them:

The photo sells this short – it’s as deadly as it sounds.  The great trick on this one is to try to find freestone peaches (very easy to find during the early fall) as these are easy to separate from the pit.

1.  Core, peal and chop 6 cups (1/5 L) of fresh peaches.  You may want gloves – the juice can really wear away at your hands (and even arms!).  I like the burn (laugh)…
2.  Add 1/3 Cup of lemon juice.  Remember:  this is one time bottled is best as the acidity is controlled.
3.  Crush lightly with a potato masher and bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

4.  Stir in 5 Cups brown sugar and cook at a light boil for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently (almost constantly).  Clean any spills – they get sticky quick!  Although the sugar may seem high, this is less than half the ratio of sugar to fruit than most jams made with commercial pectin!

6.  Remove from heat, skim off any foam (although if you are brave enough to try this tip, you may have very little).

Ladle into jars, .25 inch headspeace, wipe and seal and process in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes – the typical drill!

I make this in small jars – a little goes a long way and a half jar of jam can take a lot of fridge space.  This is awesome with ice cream and fresh vanilla from the pod!

For more info on jarring, pressure cooking, preserving best practices, check out the preserving page above.